quote:"As soon as Lane Kiffin was fired in late September, Sumlin’s representatives were contacted and told their client was on a list of potential candidates to be his replacement. Sumlin then sent word through back-channels that he wanted the job and his wife in particular was excited about the prospect of moving to Los Angeles.

Originally Sumlin’s representatives sent the message to USC athletic director Pat Haden (again, through back-channels, which is how this stuff happens) that their client would only take the job if he was the only target. He did not want to risk looking like he was aiming for the job, then lose out to someone else. That would have made for an awkward situation at Texas A&M and would have made recruiting far more difficult.

USC made it clear to Sumlin and his people that he was on a list of about five candidates (the targets shifted over time based on how this season has played out and interviews conducted) and that he would not have the chance to separate himself until he interviewed for the position. Sumlin was hesitant to interview during the season because he was worried someone might find out or it might leak to the press. So the two sides agreed to meet in a neutral location (not College Station or Los Angeles) the Sunday after the regular season was over.

The USC delegation was scheduled to fly to a pre-determined neutral location to interview Sumlin on December 1 (today), but would also be meeting with two other candidates on the same day. We have been told repeatedly by USC sources and have had it confirmed over and over again throughout the coaching search Sumlin was not the favorite for the job because no favorite has emerged. Haden has insisted on interviewing all the candidates before deciding on a leader or a top target. Any reports to the contrary are completely false."

The article has been updated with this...

quote:"UPDATE: Sources close to the Texas A&M football program have confirmed for us that Sumlin was considering leaving as recently as a few weeks ago. They also said his ultimate goal is an NFL head coaching gig."

USC is the better job for Sumlin. He has no history or connections in California, so it would be a great opportunity for him to build a brand new recruiting network from the ground up. USC would be a lot easier to win at and much less challenging, which for a competitive coach like Sumlin would be ideal. Everyone knows USC being a private school has a lot more money than A&M, and the hunger to win at the collegiate level in california is much greater than at A&M, where fans are comfortable being in last place every year as long as baseball does well.

When Johnny Football leaves, we'll see what Sumlin is made of. He's smart to either leave or lock down his job while Manzell is still on campus. Some might say that his coaching has little to do with TAMU's success: the defense is porous and the offense works best when the QB improvises. Sumlin may be a good coach but we don't know that yet. USC is an easy job to like: weak conference, fertile recruiting ground and high profile. What's not to like? Where he is now, he'll always have the second tier team in-state and have to recruit against and play SEC teams. No picnic there.

USC, easier place to recruit, weaker division, program with more history to pitch to recruits. If he wants the NFL, USC would be a better stepping stone. He now has to prove himself in not only the toughest conference in college football but maybe the toughest division. Plus he is most likely to lose the biggest reason is name in known if/when Manziel goes pro.